We’ve had reports of high leatherjacket activity this year, and I’ve seen a fair amount out and about on my travels.
Alex my colleague in the Nordics sent me the below video of an ant trying to carry a leatherjacket home for tea.
Video taken Oslo, Norway.
I believe the hero in the video is a type of wood ant (but my Norway ant knowledge is below par).
We have species in the UK but I’ve not seen them carrying leatherjackets home before, but they are known to carry off large insect prey.
Now, I’m not suggesting we start encouraging ant nests on golf greens.
Whilst we have one video of them helping out, they do also need to build nests which can be fairly disruptive to play (that goes for all ant species not just these monster wood ants).
Smoothness and trueness of ball roll would be hard to achieve with a wood ant nest up to a meter high stationed in the center of the 3rd green.
I think ants would make a great partner for bio-control of leatherjackets if:
A) The leatherjackets spent more time on the surface – unfortunately they are tucked up in root zones much of the time.
B) Ants didn’t need to excavate so much earth to build a home, really puts them down the friends ranking.
Acelepryn is a great option for many. But if you are experiencing high pressure or reinvasion from surrounding areas due to ‘drought migration’ into irrigated greens then the data shows another biological can help out more than ants can.
The other alternative is much much smaller and goes through a white spray nozzle.
Read more about the autumn strategy to bring those leatherjacket populations under control.
There is a lot of apprehension around spraying nematodes on golf courses, but courses are used to getting it right when it counts.
Be that for tight renovation windows, or complex hand watering routines to stave off drought stress.
There is nothing required which can’t be achieved, and a lovely video from myself and Glenn to run you thought all the pitfalls.
To order the LTAP (Leatherjacket Total Approach Pack) all orders must be placed by the 5th of September so they can be bred up ready to help out in the October control window.
When leatherjackets are smallest and weakest, we still hold on to 8°C+ soil temperatures and soil moisture is in the game, the stars are aligned for best results.
Place your order with your usual distributor ahead of time and mark the dates in the diary – lets plan to get the best control this season.
If we get it right hopefully scenes like the one below will be little more than an unpleasant memory…
